E2 on DVD-ROM

You know, at some point, it would be nice if Nate or somebody took a snapshot of E2 and made it available as a DVD-ROM set. I would certainly buy a copy.

I think that, centuries from now, Everything will be an invaluable window into our times, and the minds of this generation. Not only because users node for the ages, but also because we node for the here and now. This will give the archeologists, anthropologists, and sociologists a mountain of data, and insight into the mores and attitudes of the Millennial Era. By having multiple copies floating around, it ensures Everything's survival.

Maybe this will be done when E2 becomes E3 and gets purged.

I like the idea that E2 is a constant work in progress and will never really be complete. Thats not to say having it on a DVD or 2 isnt a great idea. It's just that might see E2 become commercial at that point. With E2 commercialized who would contribute to it properly? It would simply become a massively used and abused Encyclopaedia, something like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (may Douglas Adams rest in peace).

You know what happened to the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy? It was too successful. Everyone will have a copy and be able to contribute to E2, and that will ruin it. If it's simply a backup that you can purchase for the mere cost of the DVD (a very minute profit margin) then the idea might work. I'd like to see it on a PDA though. Theres nothing thats just as cool as saying "I contain EVERYTHING in my pocket!"

I could see E2 released now on DVD for around $40 (or whatever it costs for duplication, distribution, and a small markup for profit to help keep E2 operating. Then in January of each new year, all new nodes and writeups from the previous year would also be copied to DVD, and can be distributed as a annual expansion to E2. The expansion can be made available as a subscription for $25 a year, and again, profits go towards E2 operating expenses.

I hope the owners like this idea, because I feel it will work, and will ensure that E2 will remain operating for years to come.